Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China.
Department of Aviation Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China.
Cell Biol Toxicol. 2024 Sep 18;40(1):79. doi: 10.1007/s10565-024-09912-2.
Noise-induced hidden hearing loss (HHL) is a newly uncovered form of hearing impairment that causes hidden damage to the cochlea. Patients with HHL do not have significant abnormalities in their hearing thresholds, but they experience impaired speech recognition in noisy environments. However, the mechanisms underlying HHL remain unclear. In this study, we developed single-cell transcriptome profiles of the cochlea of mice with HHL, detailing changes in individual cell types. Our study revealed a transient threshold shift, reduced auditory brainstem response wave I amplitude, and decreased number of ribbon synapses in HHL mice. Our findings suggest elevated oxidative stress and GDF15 expression in cochlear hair cells of HHL mice. Notably, the upregulation of GDF15 attenuated oxidative stress and auditory impairment in the cochlea of HHL mice. This suggests that a therapeutic strategy targeting GDF15 may be efficacious against HHL.
噪声诱导的隐匿性听力损失（HHL）是一种新发现的听力损伤形式，可导致耳蜗隐匿性损伤。HHL 患者的听力阈值没有明显异常，但在嘈杂环境中言语识别能力受损。然而，HHL 的发病机制尚不清楚。在这项研究中，我们构建了 HHL 小鼠耳蜗的单细胞转录组图谱，详细描述了单个细胞类型的变化。我们的研究揭示了 HHL 小鼠的瞬态阈值移位、听脑干反应波 I 幅度降低和带状突触数量减少。我们的研究结果表明，HHL 小鼠耳蜗毛细胞中的氧化应激和 GDF15 表达升高。值得注意的是，GDF15 的上调减轻了 HHL 小鼠耳蜗中的氧化应激和听力损伤。这表明针对 GDF15 的治疗策略可能对 HHL 有效。
